.D c. MIHU “” .**PY **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS** AIJSTI N

Maroh 1, 19S9

Hon. f. FL Hendcmon, Jr. &wirtant county Attorney Hardron County Narrhall, 'Poxa Deai Sir:

mitted with you t8nor in parain Revised Citll

**on 3a**  **of Irtiola**  **2902,** l p ra,

**by** itr terms n oountlsr harlng the population of not leas than 48,900 and not more than 49,000 lnhabitantr, aooording to the preoeblng Fedora1 oen8u8 the #au$ttr 

# judge IMy SUtQlOy On. per8Oll a8 Off%00 l 88i8tallt, book- korprr and 8tenographer at a 8alary to be fixed by thr oounty Judgenot to exoeed $1,800r00 per annum la tuulve 8QUalmonthly instdlmentr out of the tinoral ?und Of theHon. J. B. Hendsreon, **Jr.,** Maroh 1, 1939, Page 2



# oouqw.

Th. pOpti4tiOll

Of &rri8O!l COUllt]r 18 48,937, ;;i; ialllng within

# the term8 of Seotlon 38, Art1014

. Hamiron l?ounty 18 the only oounty ln the Stat4 whloh, aooordlng to the preoedlng TeAor oan8u8, that had a population rlthln the limita 8p4Olfl4d in Saotlon 3a of Art1014 3902.

tion S4otlon 56, Art1014 2 OS the Stat4 ConltltuprorlAe8 In part a8 iollor8:

mo kgI818tum 8hall not, exoept a8 othorwl84 provided ln thI4 Oonrtitution,pa88 anJ 10081 or 8p4Olti 1aW8, authori T .... regulating the affair8 of OOtUitlO8, o tlol, tOWn8, ward8 or rohool diltriot8...dnd in all other Oa408 whero a general law oui b4 mad0 applloable, 110looal or 8p40181 law 8ha11 bs ennoted;prorlA4A, that nothlng h4r4ln oontalnsd rhallb4 oonrtru4d to prohIbit’th4 bgirlatura irom paseing 8peaial law8 for the pr48enatIon of gaa4 and flrh of this Stat4 In oart8In looallt148.a

tion 8aotIon 87 of Artlola 3 of tha State Comtltumad8 as follow83
"Ho local Or 8paoial law 8hall b4 pa8846, unl68r 

### notioeof the lntantlon to rpply 

### tharafor 8hall h4r4 b4an publlrhrd in tha looality wham the mattar or thing to bo 

### l ii4oteApay **be** rltuatsd,whloh not184 rhall 8tata the rub8tanOe o? tha oontearplatrd law;and ahall **ba** publlehed at least thirty day8 prior to the Introduotlon lnto the Laglslature of auoh bill and in the nmnnar to b4 provided by law. Tha erldanor of suoh'notloahating been publishad, 8ha11 br 4xhIblteA In the Lagialatura, before auoh not aball ba pg(a4A.n

mU8t Wehat4 Iarormatlon iron yr brlai, whlop w8
._. _ aasuma aa oorreot, tnat 8uon notxoo yfa4 aot puollsh4A 

### l

ooordlng to tho abort-quotad Saotion 87, Art1214 3 Of tha Stat4 COn8titUtiOn.

In the oam, Gray ~8. Taylor 227 0. S. 31, tha &pram4 **Court of**  tha Unltad Stat48 adL3a a 10081 law a8: “Th4 phra84 *looal law’ mean8 primarIlr,**, ’** 

”

.

. 

## .52’6



# . SsB

Hon.J. B. HmAar8on, Jr., 

### Uaroh1, 1939,Pag4 3

at loa8t, **a** 18W In riot If not In ?OX'M,18 dir~ot44 only to a 8p4OifiO **8DOtr*** Tha 0884, aity Ot Tort Worth tie Bobbltt, 36 SW (&A] g'F0,

hold8 aaong other thiXlg8, that.t "hit not aDpliOabl8 t0 OOUUti.8haVin& a gopulatloa or tram 33,190 to 3b.300 ~88 4varlt4 **and** 8p4ola1, 4Itlng Hlxron ~8~ Bur8on. 64 Ohio Stat4 470 mi88iOll4?8

f8. 8'&Wlgl4?,

i OW48 Ootmty Om59 In4. 876, an4 thrt a8 8ot authorirring bond8 **by** oitis8 having **batwaaa** 100,000 an4 110,000 Inhabitant8 by 1920 oaa8u8 b4Ing **applioabh** otiy to on8 olty hold looal law within oonatltutlonal protI8loa.~ Oon8tItutIon Art1014 3, 34otIon S6. Th4 4a88, %XM ~OU!lt~ t8. mll, 4t d, 97 8u (2nd) 367, hold8 

### lo 4ft8Ot, 

### that:

"COU?t8 in btWHiI%ilrgWhOth8r **bW** 18 publlo, 

### @maral, 8paolal or looalwlll.look to **it8 8Ub8tano4**  

### an4 praotloal oparatlon 

### ratherthan to it8 tit14 

### form, phra84OlOg5, 8InOO **Otheni84** prOhibItiOn and ma~4nttd law agaln8t apsolal l4gIalatlonwould ba nugatory. The hgf8latUr4 may olarrliy OOWlti48 on ba818 o? population ior pal-p088 0s rixitig oomp4nsatIonat oounty and pr4olaot oSfIoar8but olarrifioatlon **mU8t** b4 

### bass4 on r48l airtinotion -4 mu8t not b4 

# l rbltqgrz 11~ d4TI84d to gin 

### whati8, In lubrtanoa;a?. loon1 or 8proial law the fern of g488rti law*” Aotr raau0ing 8alarIrr of oftIo4rr In oountie8 Of mo,OoO Md 1088 th8XI319,000 DODtiatloa ha14 orrFea8onabla and arbItar7 In **it8** Ola88ifiOatiOlI

an4 void aI 

### a 8DOOial law.'" U4 b4lIat4 that whather tha rot In quo8ttob I8 to ba ragarddsd **a8** 8p4Oiaf and whethsr it8 oparation $8 tumom 

### throughout tha Stat8 d4pMd8 

### uponwhathor population afford8 a 

### fairbaririor the o~.a88ifioation Of OOUltlaa

### withrairrsnoe to mattar to whloh It rel8t88 and whether tha rrsult it 

### l ooomplisher 18 in **faOt** 8 -81 olasrifioation

### upon that baris MA sot a A48ignation OfHon. J. Be HeaAar8oa. Jr.,Ataroh1, 1939, Paga 4

l 8i@4 4OUnty t0 rhloh alon it 8hall apply tmdar 

### the **gUi84 Oi**  8uoh **01488iri44tiOn. ‘** **phs** law **in qIm8tiOll**  **ma8** 80 drawa that it 18 g4n4ral ia form but only appllad at th4 tlm4 it w4nt Into asriot to Hafi18On COue~ -4 probably oould **nafar** apply to 8nothar oouat We 

### think that a OOuaty oan b4 A481gnat4A by A48oriptI' on **ju8t** aa 

### l rr40tir 41~

a8 It oan ba.nama -4 that tha 

### l pplloatlon Of thi8 l

Ot 18 80 infloxlbly ?iXOd a8 to Drrrent it aver balng applloablo fo other OOWlt148.



### Sootion8 of Artlola 39124, Rat1844 Olrll gtatuts8 prorld48 aa fOiiOW8t

*The CaPmiS8ioner8' **OOurt** Of suoh oOunty 8h411, on 

### l pplioation 

### to

tha 

### County Judge, authorize tlm County JuAg4 to 4mploy 

### a 8trnogtapharat a salary o? 

### tramOn4 Htllrdr4d 

### &llqa (#loo.oo **t0** or14 HUtIdred**8nd** Twmnty-fir4 Dollar8 (1125.00) par month, and~ruoh **extra** hrlp as tha Commi8aIoa4rrB aourt MY a40maA+I8abl4 **8nd neoeassry**  **at** a ralar or not **4ro44aing** Thirtp.Dollarr (#so.OO~ **par** w4ek, **prOvidiag** 8UOh **4xtctz8** h4lp rhall not ba 4BIpiOy4d?or 1a0r4than on4 p4r8On for three (5)month8 In any on4 oalendar year. Th4 **salary** of ruoh 8tanographar and 8uoh extra hrlp 8ha11 ba paid out o? the @noral ?Undr o? the oount~.m This art1010 appllsr to oountlar hraig-rror 193,000 to 200,000pop~ation. uader,the aOt in **qU48tiOn,** the maxImum oompsnsatlono? an offi as8irtant, book**kaeper** 8lld8t4nOgraph4rO? the **OOWlt7** judge 18 rai84d abow tha marim 4llOneA like OffIO4r8 In OOullti48 Of 195,000 to 200,000population -4 the 0884, Beur oouatr ~8. Tymaa l

t al, **8upra,** olting thr on84 of Clark t8. Blnloy, 54 SW 343, aa08 the following languag4t

**ml8 oourt**  **l ’** **4OOglli84d** the **8Ubrtantiat.** airr4r0n00 in pOptiatiOn8 oi oountI48 00~14 ba mad4 a bar18 or 14gIrlatlon ilxlng OOlDI p4n88tIOn o? 0??104r8, oa th4 th4ory. a8 tha oourt olaarly r400~1244, that tha work 44r4lopIag upon an 0??108r **Wa8** in 801~4 **aegrao** proportion&a to 

### thspopulation of the county.Hon. J. B. lbadarraa, Jr., Xaroh 1, 1939, Pagr 8

Thlr hrr fnqu8ntlJ b44a raoognIr84 by the **oouft8** a8 **onatlag** 8u??IoI4ntai8tI~otioa to jmiry larg4r oosp4n8atloa for oounty off;- oer8 la oountlorhating a population a8 oopparad with oompenaatlon to like of?Io4rm In OOUdh8 having a 8I8811 population.'
I4 think it true **that** If the Legial8tun lgnorss thr obriour f8Ot that thework o? an **assistant,** bookkeeper and rtanographar or tha oounty judge 18 proportIonat to population and Ola88iiic8 oountie8 in ruohray that tha **oaopamation ot**  

### ruoh l **8aiatant, bookkaapar**  and rtanographrr 0s thr **oounty** juag4 In oountl48having 4 amallsr population 18 **ilred** at **mm4** than the ;oaxImu3oomg4n8atiOtlallow44 11ka offlorr or amploy In oountiss hating a larger pODti8tiOll,

### 8uoh**BOtiOB** 

### rPOUllt8 t0 **fiXill& 8**  **Ola88ifiOatiOn** whloh 18 arbitrary aad &Ioh ha8 no true relatanoy to tha **pUl ’** **pO84 Of**  thr 14gi8latiOn.

In rlsw 

### OS the for4going

### authorities, youam *r48p4otrull~ 8dVhd that It Is 

### theopiniono? thlrD8- p8rta4nt that %?Ot1On 3 O? Art1014 3932 18 **8 Bp4Oi.83.**  **18W** an4, th4r4ror4,.18 unoon4tltutlon41and void.

Trwtlng that tho ioragolng ansrr4r8 your ln**qulrt, -4**  rcmaln Vary truly **your8** AlTORNZT GENSRAL OF TEXAB
B&!dd&%~ Ardsll WliilaEI8 **.488i8t4Et**